Resignation of Acting Prosecutor General Norman Seok Five Days After 'Decision Not to Appeal' Controversy (Update)

Controversy Over Abandoning Daejang-dong Appeal
Acting Prosecutor General Resigns After Five Days

Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General under pressure to resign after giving up on appealing the Daejang-dong development corruption case, is arriving at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on November 12, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, submitted his resignation on November 12. This decision to step down comes just five days after controversy erupted over the decision not to appeal the Daejang-dong development corruption case.

On the afternoon of November 12, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office issued a press notice stating, "Acting Prosecutor General Seok has expressed his intention to resign," adding, "A more detailed statement will be made at the retirement ceremony." It appears that he made this decision as controversy intensified both inside and outside the prosecution following the decision not to appeal the Daejang-dong development corruption case.

It seems that Acting Prosecutor General Seok decided to resign because the entire prosecution organization, regardless of rank, pressured him to step down over the questionable decision not to appeal. Previously, the prosecution did not submit an appeal by midnight on the seventh day, the deadline, against the first trial verdicts for Yoo Donggyu, former head of planning at Seongnam Development Corporation, Kim Manbae, and other private sector figures indicted on charges including aggravated breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

As the investigation team protested and the controversy continued, Acting Prosecutor General Seok stated on November 9, "After also considering the Ministry of Justice's opinion, I comprehensively reviewed the intent and content of the ruling, the appeal criteria, and the progress of the case, and determined that it was reasonable not to file an appeal." He added, "This decision was made after careful deliberation and consultation with the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office."

However, Jung Jinwoo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, said, "I tried to persuade the Central District Prosecutors' Office's position but could not see it through," adding, "While I accept the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's directive, I want to make it clear that the Central District Prosecutors' Office's opinion differs, and I am submitting my resignation to take responsibility for this situation."

Afterwards, as directors and research officers at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office demanded his resignation, it was reported that Acting Prosecutor General Seok said, "The Ministry of Justice gave the prosecution the option to forgo the appeal on its own," and "I had to choose between Yongsan and the Ministry of Justice," implying a difficult choice regarding relationships with the presidential office and the Ministry of Justice.

In particular, it is known that he explained that after receiving a phone call from Lee Jinsu, Vice Minister of Justice, just before the appeal deadline, he judged it would be better for the prosecution to voluntarily forgo the appeal rather than be forced to do so through the Ministry of Justice's exercise of investigative command authority. He also reportedly said, "The Ministry of Justice should not be seen as wielding the prosecution through its investigative command authority."

Meanwhile, as all convicted private sector figures have filed appeals, the second trial will proceed. However, since the prosecution did not appeal, the possibility of a heavier sentence than in the first trial has been eliminated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.